Iris: Daughters of deception

Chapter two

Malik's gaze met mine briefly when the noise of chaos reached us as we descended the majestic stairs that lead to the entrance of the pack house. In no time we both sprinted out of the pack house in search of the newest form of threat that we suddenly faced but I had not expected to see my titian-haired friend baring her teeth while her mate, Absalom stood between her and already another Lycan who would also be baring his teeth. Absalom stood tall, covered in fur and sinewy muscles, streaks of mangled flesh and scars scattered along his limber yet powerful frame where hair was no longer able to grow. The remains of his ripped clothes littered the surrounding floor.

This was quite shocking. From what I heard, Absalom barely shifted. He was the one person in this pack that didn't mindlessly succumb to his beast, or rather, I heard his beast was quite rational. It was what made him the exceptional assassin and spy he was. A brutal animal that was led by nothing but instincts, werewolves, Lycans and every type of shapeshifter were infamous for our brutal reaction to provocation, good or bad.

If anything rubbed wolves the wrong way, they would lash out and if it was the opposite, they would be so expressive in their happiness. But not Absalom, his wolf was just as cunning as his human mind was. This was why it was so mindboggling when I first learned he was friends with someone so ruled by his wolf like Malik.

So seeing him so ruthlessly threatening an Alpha. He wasn't usually so abrupt in his actions. Unlike me, that liked to suppress my wolf, Absalom was the kind of shifter most aspired to be. He had a mutual agreement with his wolf, so why was this a situation?

My gaze settled on Aria and the moment I noticed her legs bending and her upper body lowering to the ground. Bringing her centre of gravity lower, and the way she placed her right leg behind her left and dug it into the ground, I knew what she planned to do.

Apparently, Malik had the same thought as I, did because the moment I lunged forward to stop Aria from her predetermined attack, Malik also grabbed Absalom back.

"Aria! What the hell are you doing?" I asked.

"Is this the kind of welcome I get coming to the genesis pack?" The other Alpha growled. My brows furrowed when I heard his gruff voice. And I was sure I was not imagining it because he had a very distinct voice, it had a certain rasp in it one that felt quite nice to listen to if I was being honest.

My body trembled when I heard Malik growl, confused I turned to look at him and his eyes met mine.

Nice to listen to?

My lips parted as a scoff escaped them. Is he serious?

Stay the hell out of my head you pervert!

"How dare a common wolf bar his teeth at an Alpha? Or do you think because your pack is so esteemed you can do whatever it is you will?" He continued and I felt Malik's growing discontent.

"How dare you call him a common wolf?!" Aria gnarled, her pitched yet gruff yell scratching my ears in the wrong way.

What was wrong with her?

"Aria!" I scolded.

"You are nothing but a farce, you bastard!" She continued completely ignoring me. Unable to match her raw strength she shoved me away and lurched. But since I was not willing to see my best friend get beheaded or just generally ripped apart limb from limb I jumped before her once more.

"Aria!" I screamed, louder this time. Her eyes had completely changed colour from their viridian beauty to that bland brown I hated. "Stop it!" But since I was no longer speaking to Aria she bared her teeth at me! And as much as I was used to it, her always coming after me, our situations had changed. I was Luna now and it was an unwritten rule anyone knew if you present anything but your bare neck in submission for a ranked wolf you are challenging that wolf and it's a fight till death or until you agree to submit.